Published on : 06/14/2022
On the slopes of Mont Ventoux, Clara Koppenburg took 2nd place before Guillaume Martin finished 5th. A little later, in Switzerland, Bryan Coquard also flirted with victory by finishing his sprint just a few centimetres behind the winner of the day, Peter Sagan. A look back at the great day of the Cofidis team!
CIC - MONT VENTOUX VERTICAL DROP CHALLENGE
Koppenburg and Martin in the top 5
During this week where Cofidis is present on three fronts, a part of the team was competing in the CIC - Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge. In the women's race, Clara Koppenburg stayed behind the winner, Marta Cavalli, for a long time on the 100 km long course. When the latter attacked, the German rider held on until the end, crossing the line in 2nd position only 41 seconds late. The race was again very interesting for the next events, notably the Tour de France Femmes with Zwift at the end of July.
In the men's race (154 km) too, the race had a Tour de France feel to it. Guillaume Martin, who had already distinguished himself by finishing 3rd two years ago, was once again among the animators of the day. The rider from Normandy, who came back from the Giro, showed that he had regained his physical abilities by finishing 2 min 15 sec behind the winner, Ruben Guerreiro. This was enough to give him a lot of confidence before a final training camp to prepare for the Tour de France.
TOUR DE SUISSE - STAGE 3
Bryan Coquard, so close to victory
Because a sprinter can only be completely happy when he is the first to cross the finish line, there was of course a certain amount of frustration for Bryan Coquard on Tuesday. However, the rider from Saint-Nazaire made a great effort in the final stretch to Granges after 177 km. Slightly distanced on the last bend, he came back to the front and managed to take 2nd place behind Peter Sagan.
Bryan shows that he has not lost any of his form, as his last podium place was at the end of May, during the Boucles de la Mayenne (3rd of the 4th stage). This is his 10th top 5 of the season and he will certainly want to shine again soon. The sprinter will have the opportunity to show himself tomorrow, between Granges and Brunnen where the 191 km should also end in a bunch sprint.
THEY SAID
Clara Koppenburg, 2nd: "I was on the wheel of Marta Cavalli until she attacked with 3 km to go. I couldn't follow her but I tried to keep my own pace and to hold on until the end. I really wanted to be on the podium. It's incredible for women's cycling to have the chance to climb Mont Ventoux. You don't get on the podium by being lucky but by showing your strength. This result only strengthens my motivation for the next races. Between the Giro and the Tour de Frances Femmes with Zwift, I know that there will be many opportunities to shine with the whole team.
Guillaume Martin, 5th: "For a comeback, 5th is not bad! I was a bit unfamiliar as it was my first real race in the heat. In these conditions, I am happy with my performance, especially as the final climb was quite intense. The result is rather encouraging and we had again Cofidis riders at the front. Since the beginning of the season, we continue to be in the game, often placed, sometimes winning. It is not my case yet but I hope it will be the case for the Tour de France. I am looking forward to the Tour, I am going to a training camp to recognize some stages. We'll get there very quickly!
Bryan Coquard, 2nd: "It came down to placement in the last corner and I was a bit far back. In the penultimate corner, we arrived very fast and I was on the outside. I lost a few places but I made a great effort. At the finish, it is a pity but that's the way it is and we have to congratulate Peter Sagan for his victory. It's always better to win but it was going fast. We have to take something positive out of this experience, it's a very good omen for the future.